Increasingly, electronic devices transmit and receive high-frequency electrical signals representing digital data. High-speed data transmission, such as so-called Ultra High-Speed (UHS) data transmission involves the transmission of data between electronic devices at rates of 1 to 10 gigabits per second using signal frequencies of 100 MHz to 500 MHz. There is a desire for future high-speed data transmission at even faster rates and at even higher frequencies. For example, UHS data transmission may be achieved over 1000BASE-T Ethernet networks using category 5, 5E, 6 or 6A cables. Such high-speed digital data networks are not confined to terrestrial applications, especially as high-speed electronics are developed for aerospace and other suitable applications.
High-speed digital data transmission is facilitated by a data transmission system with a relatively high signal to noise ratio. One exemplary system includes a 1000BASE-T Ethernet network that includes category 5, 5E, 6 or 6A cables. Cables in such a system are designed to propagate data signals without generating or introducing appreciable noise, and are terminated by electrical connectors at either end to either connect cables together, or to connect cables to electronic devices. Electrical connectors commonly used for terrestrial applications, such as an RJ-45 style connector, have proved to be less than suitable for aerospace and other applications. In aerospace and other applications, electrical connectors are subjected to a variety of harsh environmental conditions, such as the presence of moisture, vibrations and mechanical shock, relatively high amounts of external electrical and magnetic interference, and pressure changes, all of which can detrimentally affect an electrical connector's performance, that is, its ability to transmit data signals while maintaining a relatively high signal to noise ratio. Common electrical connectors for aerospace and other suitable applications, such as the Quadrax-style connector, tend to work well for data transfer rates less than 1 gigabit per second, but tend to exhibit, induce, generate or introduce excessive noise during high-speed data transmission at rates faster than 1 gigabit per second.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,316,584 describes an electrical connector designed to reduce crosstalk. Electrical connectors described in the '584 patent include an electrically conductive “X”-shaped grounding post 32 (best seen in FIGS. 3A and 3B thereof) in an attempt to electrically isolate each of four pairs of contacts from the other three pairs of contacts by placing each pair between two adjacent arms of the “X”. Devices in the '584 patent also include a follower 42 that is located behind the “X”-shaped grounding post such that each pair of wires corresponding to a pair of contacts traverses through one of four apertures in the follower. The follower may be made from an electrically conductive material to provide electrical isolation between each wire pair. The '584 patent also discloses that each pair of wires “become untwisted in the region of the follower 42.”
Because degraded performance of an electrical connector adversely affects the ability of a system to transfer data at high rates, the present inventor has recognized a need for a robust electrical connector capable of facilitating high-speed data transfer in aerospace and other suitable applications, for example, in aircraft electronic systems having performance criteria meeting gigabit data transfer standards such as 1000BASE-T.
The present inventor has thus identified a need for an improved connector configuration for reducing crosstalk, noise, and interference in high-speed data transmission systems and for such connectors having enhanced reliability in demanding environments.